Automatic sprinkler.



C. P NUTTER.

. AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER: APPLICATION HLED MAR. 9, 1908.

1,137,016., Patented Am: 27 1915.

. {UNITED s TATEs PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES P. NUTTER, or MAIDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNDR TO COMBINED HEAT &

srnnvxnnncomranr, or nosron, MASSACHUSETTS, A conronarron or massa-CHUSEITS.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

Application filed March 9, 1908. Serial No. 419,868.

sprinklers such as are now extensively used 111 connection withautomatic fire-extin-- guishing systems, and one of the objects of theinvention is to provide an automaticsprinkler which is especiallyadapted for use in connection with the sprinkler system described andillustrated in application Se.

'No. 318,814, filed May 26, 1906, by myself and John C'hatmain Thesystem described in said application is a combined heating and sprinklersystem, this combination being effected by mounting sprinkler heads onthe circulating pipes of a heating system or, in other words, arranginga system whereby a heating medium can be circulated through the pipes towhich the automatic sprinklers are attached. In a construction of thischaracter it is desirable that the sprinkler heads or at least thefusible joint or link of the sprinkler head should be insulated from thepipe to which such sprinkler heads are attached so that said fusiblejoints will not be affected by the tem- 35. wise such fusible joint orconnection might perature of the heating medium, for otherbe melted bythe temperature of the heating medium and the sprinkler head would openand become operative when there Was no occasion for it to do so. I

In the present invention this' danger is avoided by so constructing thesprinkler head that the fusible connection or link which controls theoperationof the sprinkler head is insulated from the body of thesprinkler and from the pipe so that the tem perature of said connectionor joint will not be affected by the temperature of the heating mediumin" the pipe.

Another novel feature of the present invention lies in the constructionof the defiector. In most sprinkler heads the defiector is secured in afixed position In the present invention the deflector is associated withthe valve, and the valve is controlled by a suitable connection which inone position holds the valve to its seat and closes the outlet of thesprinkler head, and in another position holds the valve separated somedistance from its seat. The deflector is made of resilient material andwhen the valve is held to its seat, said deflector is placed undertension sothat when the fusi-' ble connection melts the resiliency ofthe defiector lifts the valve from its seat and opens the sprinklerhead. The valve and the defiector move together into a position 'sepa-'rated from the valve seat, in which position the deflector is properlysituated to receive the stream of'water issuing from thenozzle andconvert said stream into a spray.

In the drawings wherein Ihave illustrated several embodiments of myinvention .for the purpose of disclosing the principle thereof, Figure 1is a sectional view of a ,sprinkler head embodying the invention, saidview showing the valve closed; Fig. 2'

is a similar sectional view showing the valve open; Fig. 3 is a sectionon the lines-w; Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of Fig. 3;,

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing amodified form of theinvention; Fig, 6 is a vertical sectional view showing still anothermodification of the invention; Fig. '7 is a View similar to Fig.fishowing a modification of the invention; Fig. 8 illustrates a lengthof a pipe of a combined heating and sprinkling system having my improvedsprinkler heads mounted thereon; Fig. 9 illustrates still anotherembodiment of my invention; Fig. 10 is a detail of the levers shown inFig. 9; Fig. 11 shows a diiferent form of. link or fusible connectionfrom that shown in the other figures.

As stated above, one of the features of the sprinkler head is aCOIIStIIICLiOl'I wherein the fusible connection is entirely insulatedfrom the pipe towhichthe sprinkler head is securedso that any heat inthe pipe will not be transmitted to said fusible connection through theparts of the'sprinkler head.

Another feature of the sprinkler head relates to the construction andthe manner of supporting the deflector.

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and3, 3 is the body or valve seat member of the sprinkler head which isprovided with the usual.

screw-threaded portion, by means of which it may be screwed to a pipe ofthe sprm kler system. Said valie seat member 3 is provided with thevalve seat 6 on which is adapted to be seated a valve 7 as usual. Theseparts may be of any suitable or usual construction.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the valve 7is carried by a head 8 which is'shown as having the screwthreaded stem9. This stem has screw-threaded thereon a nut 10 to which is pivoted oneend of two links 11, the other ends of said links being pivoted toblocks. 12. The blocks 12 have secured thereto arms 13, and said armsare also secured to the valve seat body 3, as at 14.. The arms 13 arepreferably made of resilient metal so that when they are drawn together,as shown in Fig. 1, they Said arms are heldv will 'be under tension. intheposition shown in Fig; 1 by means of a fusible connection or jointwhich in this embodiment of. my invention comprises two L-shaped members15which are soldered together at 16 by means of some suitable softsolder. Said members '15 when thus sol- I. deredtogether form a clipwhich by embracing the projections 17 of the heads 12 serve 'to holdsaid heads together in. the position shown in Fig. 1-, and thus hold thevalve firmly to its seat. As stated above, one of the objects of theinvention is to provide a construction whereby the fusible connection iscompletely insulated from the valve seat member 3 orfrom the pipe towhich said 'member is attached. This is accomplished herein byinterposing heat insulating material va1ve.-- Said deflector is shown at22 and it" 18' between the clip formed by'the members 15 and the blocks12, said insulating material acting to prevent any heat from beingtransmitted to the fusible link through 5 the arms 13 -or the links 11,as will be obvious. ing the fusible link or connection I prefer tointerpose a layer 20 of insulating material between the arms 13 and thevalve seat member 3, andalso to place a lever 21 of heatinsulatingmaterial between the valve 7 and the.head8.. In this way a doubleinsulation isafi'orded between the valve seat member 3 and the fusiblelinkwhich will completely insulate said link or connection from any Iheat in the pipe 5.

In my improved sprinkler head the deflector isassociated and 'moves withthe is shown as secured to the head 8 bybeing confined between the-nut10 and said head. -This' deflector is substantially cup-shaped and ispreferably made of'resilient material. Its size and construction aresuch that when the valveis seated, as shown Fig. 1, the edge of thedeflector rests firmly against the top of the flange 23 formed on thevalve seat member 3,:and is flared outwardly-"slightly- As a means ofstill further insulatfiector 20'is under tension and the arms 13 arealso under tension. The result is that as soon as the soft solderat-.'16 melts, the resili- 'ency of the arms 13 tends to separate theupper ends thereof and the resiliency of the deflector 22 tends to causethe latter with-the 7o valve is seated, as shown in Fig. 1, the devalveto spring away from the valve seat.

The result of this combined operation is that the blocks 12 move awayfrom each other to permit the valve and deflector to be carried into theposition shown in Fig. 2. While the deflector is moving into thisposition the arms 13 are separated beyond their neutral position asshown in dotted lines .Fig. 2, and the resiliency of said arms bringsthem back toward their neutral position, as shown in full lines Fig. 2.During this time, however, the force of the streain'of water has carriedthe deflector and valve into the position shown in Fig. 2, inwhichposition it isheld by the arrangement of the links 11 and arms 13.When in this'position the deflector is properly situated to receivethe'stream of water issuing from the port 24 in the valve-seat member 3and to break said stream up into a spray.- The-closing of the valve,therefore, merely involves the reseating of the valve, and the applyingand soldering together of the members 15. I i

In Fig. 5 I have shown an embodiment of the invention wherein rigid ornon-yielding 2 arms are substituted for the resilient arms 13 of Figs. 1and 2. In said Fig. 5 the valve i 7 is sustained by the'head 8, as shownin Fig. 1, and said head has a screw-threaded stem 9 to which the nut10. is screwed, said nut having pivoted thereto one end of each of thelinks 11, all as shown in Fig. 1. The

upper end of said links, 1 er, are pivoted to arms 130, aims areprovided with the projections 17. The lower ends of the arms 130 arepivoted at 25 tothe flange 23 6f the valve-seat member, and said armshave secured thereto resilient tails 26. The

upper ends of the arms 130 are normally held together in the positionshown in Fig. 5

by the clip formed by the two L-shaped member. 15 which are solderedtogether at 16 by some suitable soft solder. This clip formed by themembers 15 is insulated from the arms 130 by the blocks 18 of insulatingmaterial, all as above described with reference to Fig. 1. Thisembodiment also has the deflector 22 of resilient material which iscarried by the head 8 and which is placed under tension when the valveis seated, as shown in the drawings.- -When the fusible solder at 16melts the resiliency of the deflector 22 forces the latter awayfrom therate suflicie'ntly at their upper ends to permit the deflector and valve,to pass through between them. This outward swinging movement ofisaid'arms 130 brings the resilienttails 26 against the valve seat memberthus putting said tailsunder tension with the result that assoon as thedeflector hasmoved up suflici'ently to carry the'links ll beyond thehorizontal position, the resiliency of the tails 26 forces the upperends of the arms inwardly,-thus,serving to hold the deflector in itselevated position." In this embodiment of my invention the arms 130 andthe deflector 22 are preferably insulated fromfthe valve seatv member 3by suitable insulating material '20.

In Figs. 6 and 7 a different embodiment of the invention'is illustratedwherein jthe compound lever arrangement is employed for maintaining thevalve on its seat. In saidembodiment the valve seat memberfZ-l isprovided with the valve seat 6 on which the valve Tis seated, and saidvalve is sustained by. a head.8 and has associated therewith'thedeflector 22, .all as above described. The 17a lever '50is provided witha knife edge stem 9 of said head 8, however, is secured to rods or pins31 that are secured to the flange 23 of the'valve seat member 3.Saidrods or pins 31 are provided with notches 32 which areengaged by theends of two levers 33 and 34. :f The lever 333is provided with thefulcrum 'point 35, which is herein slibwn as engaging the end of thestem Q'and with another fulcrum point or knife edge 36 which away fromits seat; I

Since the deflector is carried by the valve;

it is necessary to-providesome means for};

holding the deflector at .the proper position has a fulcrum edge 530to-engage an end of rests against the lever 8a. The lever 34""has at oneend a knife edge 37' which rests against a supplemental lever 38, saidlatterf lever havingat one end a knifeedge earn-aengages a projectiondllez'rten'ding from the lever 33 The lever134 and supplemental lever38. are provided with upwardly-directj ed fingers i1 and 42 which areadapted. to

be embraced by the clip compgsed'of the two members 15 connectedtogether at 16'- bysoft solder or other fusible metal.- So long as theclip embraces the fingers 41, 42-, the valve will be held to its'seat,but ifsaid clip 'i s released from said fingers" thereis nothing r tohold the valve to. it'sseat and the resiliency of the deflec tor-22 willthr owthe valve to receive and convert into a spray the stream issuingfrom the sprinkler. In embodiment this is accomplished by prov d l-Zeachprovided with an interior shoulder 43; Situated within each sleeve4c2fis another sleeve 44 provided at one end .withan out turned "flangeor shoulder 45, andat the other end with an 'inturned flange orshoulder46. The. sleeves H telescope over the pins 31; and the latter .areprovided with heads. 47 which are adapted to engage and cooperate with.the. shoulders 46. This telescopic constructionservesto guide the'headin its outward movement and also tolimit another layer of insulation 21between the 1 valve-Tend the body 8, In this way perfect insulation issecured'b etween the valve seat member and the fusible joint orconnection.-

vIn Fig, 7 I have shown amodification of the invention which is similarto that shownin Fig. 6 in every respect; except as to the constructionof the compound lever. In Fag.

5:1'which rests onthe cross-head" 30fandtlie a cross-head 30 which istelescoped over end of the lever 50 rests against-knife edges 53 formedon, two levers 52L The outer ends of the levers 52 engagethe notches or.shoulders 32 formed'in the pins3'1, and the'inner ends of the levers 52are embracejdmb y' the clip formed by the two members 15 wh ich areconnected: together, at 16. by' the' soft solder or other fusiblematerial. Said members 15 may also be insulated from the levers 52bvjinsulating material 18. a The operation of the 'd evice shown in Fig.7 is 'similar to ice that shown i Fig. 6. In the above embod v ment ofinventio rthe fusiblezconnection' is offaconstructionto embrace'twoprojec tions and normally hold-therii irom spread:

.ing from each other: such'a'connection, being subjected to tension"?-'In Fig. 9 li ihave shown ad arrangement wherein a fusibleconne'ctioninthe formi'of a thrust member is employed,. ;-The generalconstruction of the device shown inj jsaid figure is similar-t0}. thatshown in Figs. 6

"and/7 in that it" comprises the cross head-30 which telescopes over thepins or rodsfil extending from the'valve-sea-t member. The crosshead 30is held in position by a lever 50 provided with a ,fulcrum edge 51 which.1; engages the cross head. Said leveris acted upon by the two levers520, "each of which thelever 50. The outer end ofeach lever -52( engagesthe notch 32 in the rod 31, as

described .with reference to Fig. 7, and the inner end ofi each leveroverlaps that of, the

other lever and is bent upwardly as at 80.

81 which is in the form of a thrust member.

position showman Fig. 9. With this consti'uctionthe upward pressure onthe valve will tendto indve the-upturned ends of the lever 520 towardeach other and this'tendency is resisted by the fusible connection I Inorder that this thrust member may properly act on the upturned ends it1s desir- -,,.able that the levers 520 should be oflt'set sufliciently,as shown in Fig. 10, sol'that the upturned ends may be inline with eachother. The insulation between the fusible connection 81 and the levers520 -may be secured in any suitable way, as by providing blocks 82 of,insulating material between the ends" of the'fusible connection. 8l 'andsaid arms "80. I

In Fig. 11 Ihave shown another .form of clip or fusible connection whichmight beused in place of that shown in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive. Thisfusible connection com-.-

prises a-link 71 ofv fusible metal which is which is broken when saidconnection melts.- Theisignal-circuit may have any suitable .553

haveillustr'ated someiselected types of fusiadapted to be set over theupper ends of the projections 17, as shown in the deviceFigs. 17130 5, vor over theupper ends of the proections of the levers 41, 42, 'asshownin Fig. 6,--0I'-0Ve1 the upper ends of the levers 52, shown in Fig. 7.This link may be in-.

sulated from the levers or projections which it ties together by meansof blocks 72 of insulating material. This link 71 may either be'madeentirely of fusible metal or may be made in -one or more parts which aresoldered together by. fusible metal. If desired" Imay provide the valveseat member Swith radial wings orfianges'GO-Which serve to increasetheradiatin lsurfaceof said member,an'd assist in in letting any heat whichmay be conducted to the memberfrom the he insulating material which. Iemploy while primarily fhavin the sulating from. heat Wlll pre erably beof such a material that it will be an electrical insulator also.Wheninsulating material of this character is u'sed,- the fusibleconnection will not only be-heat insulated from the other parts of thedevice, but will also be electrically insulated.- This is of advan tagebecause-said connection may be made part of-a signal circuitfil whichisnormally close when the connections are intact but blemonnections forthe purpose of giving an 3 understanding of the invention yet theiiivention is not'limitedto any'particularftype oi fusible conne'etionfiber; 2. In an' automatic sprinkler, the combina" tion with a valve .seatmember, of a valve uality of in- I- have shown herein several forms offusible connections but my invention is not limited to any one or all ofthem.

I have not attempted te -show herein all,

embodiments of my invention, but have merely illustrated a'fewembodiments which are sufiicient to disclose the principle of theinvention. I

Having described my invention what claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent is: Y

1.- In an automatic sprinklenthe combi- I v i nation witha'valve seat,member, ofa valve seated thereon, and means including a fusibleconnection to keep the valve seated, and means to heat insulate thefusible connection from both the valve and the valve seat mem seatedthereon, valve-retaining means to keep the valveseated, said. meansincluding an insulated fusible connection and means to insulate thevalve-retaining means from the I valve seat member.

3'. In anautomatic sprinkler, the combination with a valve seat member,of a valve seated thereon, means to keep the valve seated, said meansincluding an insulated fusible connection and means to. insulate saidmeans from both the valve and the valve seat member.

4. In an automatic sprinkler, the combination with a valve seat member,-of a valve 1 seated thereon and heatdifi'using means as sociated withthe valve seat member to diffuse and radiate any heat communicatedthereto from the sprinklerpipe to which it is attached.

5. In an automatic sprinkler, the combination. with a valve seat memberprovided with heat-radiating flanges, of a valve seated thereon, andmeans to keep the valve seated.

6. In an automatic sprinkler, the combination with avalve seat memberprovided I with heat-radiating flanges, of a valve seated thereon, andmeans heat-insulated from the valve seat member to keep the valveseatedl 7. In an automatic sprinklenfthe combination with a valve. seatmember provide with heat-radiating flanges, of a valve seated thereon,and means heat-insulated from both the valve and the valve seat memberto keep ,the valveseated.- Y

8. In an automatic sprinkler, th bi.-

nation with a valve seat member, of a valve adapted to be seatedthereon, means to hold the valve to its seat, and a resilient deflector.secured to the valve andv shapedto be placed 1 under tension whenthevvalve is seated. 9, In an automatic sprinkler, the combination witha valve seat. member having" a flange, of a'v'alve adapted-tabsseatedthere 0n, means including a fusible cbnnection to holdthejalve .tots seat, and 'a-defiector of resilient material secured to the valve andhaving a shape such that it will engage the flange of the valve seatmember and be placed under tension when the valve is seated.

10. In an automatic sprinkler, the combination with a valve seat member,of a valve seated thereon, valve-retaining means to keep the valveseated, a fusible connection to hold said retaining means in operativeposition, means to insulate said valve-retalmng means from both thevalve seat member and "the valve, and other means to insulate saidfusible connection from the valve-retalmng means.

12. In an automatic sprinkler, the combi nation with a valve seatmember, of a .valve seated thereon, valve-retaining means to keep thevalve seated, means to insulate said valve-retaining means from thevalve seat member, andv other means" to insulate said valve-retamlngmeans from the valve.

13. In an automatic sprinkler, the combi- 3o nation with a; valve seatmember, of a valve seated thereon, means including a fusible connectionto keep the valve seated, and two separate heat barriers arranged inseries interposed betweenthe valve seat member and 35 the fusibleconnection.

14. In'an automatic sprinkler, the combi nation with'a valve seatmember, of a valve seated thereon, valve-retaining means to keep thevalve seated, a fusible connection to hold 40 the retaining meansinoperative position,

means to insulate the retaining means from the valveseatmemberjotlieiglnieans to insu late the ret'ainin'g;niieansfrom thevalve, and

still other meansto insulate the fusible connection froni'jitheretaining means.

In'tes'ti'monyfwhereof, I have signed my name to this" specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, CHARLES P. NUTTER.

Witnesses:

LOUIS C. SMITH, MARGARET A.'DUNN.

